Indian equity markets meandered near neutral lines in late trade. Following the recent gains made by the markets, traders opted to cash in profits which pushed markets near the neutral lines. However, markets took support as investors remained optimistic about interest rate cut by Reserve Bank of India in its December Monetary policy committee meeting. Further, continued foreign fund inflows by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) kept sentiments upbeat. The FIIs were the net buyers of equities worth Rs 4,778.03 crore on Wednesday’s session. 

On the global front, Asian equity markets were trading mostly in green, tracking positive cues from Wall Street overnight. European equity markets were trading mostly in red amid uncertainty about success of the new U.S. proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine war after European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen accused Russia of having no real intent for peace talks.

The BSE Sensex is currently trading at 85625.74, up by 16.23 points or 0.02% after trading in a range of 85473.85 and 86055.86. There were 15 stocks advancing against 15 stocks declining on the index.

The broader indices were trading in red; the BSE Mid cap index declined 0.14%, while Small cap index was down by 0.39%.

The alone gaining sectoral index on the BSE was Bankex up by 0.09%, while Oil & Gas down by 1.07%, Energy down by 0.81%, Realty down by 0.73%, Consumer Discretionary down by 0.57% and Consumer Durables down by 0.55% were the top losing indices on BSE.

The top gainers on the Sensex were Bajaj Finance up by 2.29%, ICICI Bank up by 1.11%, Hindustan Unilever up by 0.91%, Bajaj Finserv up by 0.83% and Larsen & Toubro up by 0.83%. On the flip side, Maruti Suzuki down by 1.44%, Eternal down by 1.29%, SBI down by 1.15%, Ultratech Cement down by 1.12% and Tata Steel down by 1.06% were the top losers.

Meanwhile, India and Slovenia have discussed ways to promote trade and investment ties between the two countries, during the 10th session of the India-Slovenia Joint Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation (JCTEC). The session provided a platform to review the current state of bilateral economic engagement, strengthen cooperation across key sectors, and chart a forward-looking roadmap for trade and investment between the two nations.

Sectoral cooperation was explored across agriculture, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, health, transport, energy, tourism, MSMEs, and Ayurveda and traditional systems of medicine, as well as other trade and business-related matters. Both sides expressed optimism for the early conclusion of a balanced and mutually beneficial India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

The 10th JCTEC reaffirmed India’s commitment to nurturing a dynamic economic partnership with Slovenia, built on mutual trust, shared values, and enduring friendship, laying the groundwork for deeper collaboration across Europe and India. Besides, bilateral trade between India and Slovenia has shown a consistent upward trajectory over the past several years, reflecting the growing depth and resilience of the partnership.

The CNX Nifty is currently trading at 26205.40, up by 0.10 points after trading in a range of 26141.90 and 26310.45. There were 19 stocks advancing against 31 stocks declining on the index.

The top gainers on Nifty were Bajaj Finance up by 2.37%, Shriram Finance up by 1.34%, ICICI Bank up by 1.13%, Hindalco up by 1.00% and Hindustan Unilever up by 0.94%. On the flip side, Eicher Motors down by 2.62%, ONGC down by 1.68%, Bajaj Auto down by 1.65%, Adani Enterprises down by 1.61% and Maruti Suzuki down by 1.45% were the top losers.

Asian equity markets were trading mostly in green; Nikkei 225 surged 631.93 points or 1.26% to 50,191.00, Taiwan Weighted added 144.99 points or 0.53% to 27,554.53, Hang Seng advanced 31.92 points or 0.12% to 25,960.00, KOSPI increased 26.04 points or 0.65% to 3,986.91, Straits Times rose 7.64 points or 0.17% to 4,509.20 and Shanghai Composite strengthened 11.08 points or 0.29% to 3,875.26, while Jakarta Composite plunged 58.74 points or 0.69% to 8,543.39.

European equity markets were trading mostly in red; UK’s FTSE 100 decreased 17.98 points or 0.19% to 9,673.60 and France’s CAC fell 6.73 points or 0.08% to 8,089.70, while Germany’s DAX gained 35.18 points or 0.15% to 23,761.40.